The most expensive camera in the world: 1923 Leica sells for $2.97M at auction

A private collector in Asia just bought her or himself the most expensive camera ever sold at auction, making away with an ultra-rare Leica 0-series no. 122 for the mind-boggling price of €2.4 million (approximately $2.97M USD, or £2.15M)—a sum reached when you combine the hammer price of €2 million with the €400,000 premium.

The auction took place on Saturday at the famed WestLicht auction house in Vienna, where Leica majority owner and chairman of the board Andreas Kaufmann was there to watch the record be set.

Leica 0-series no. 122 | Photo: WestLicht

According to WestLicht, the astronomical price "reflects the camera's fantastic original condition." Only 25 of these 'test' cameras were produced by Ernst Leitz in 1923—two years before the first Leica camera was officially brought to market—and WestLicht claims that of those 25, only three are known to still be in 'original condition.'

Speaking of which: this sale beat the former €2.16 million (~$2.67M USD) record price paid for another Leica 0-series (no. 116) in 2012.

Press Release

The Most Expensive Camera Ever

Leica camera sold for 2,400,000 Euro (USD 2,976,000) at WestLicht record auction

The 32nd WestLicht Camera Auction brought not one but two record winning results. With the new world record price of 2.4 million Euro (2 million hammer price plus premium) the Leica 0-series no. 122 is the World's most expensive camera to date. Furthermore, the auction turned out to be the most successful one in the rich history of the Vienna auction house.

The Leica 0-series had started at a price of 400,000 Euro and rose to a result 6 times higher. A private collector from Asia emerged as the winner from the exciting bidding war. The remarkable price certainly also reflects the camera's fantastic original condition. In 1923, two years before the first Leica was introduced to the market, Ernst Leitz produced 25 of this test camera, only three of which are known to still be in the original condition.

The previous record holder, a Leica 0-series with no. 116, was also auctioned at WestLicht in 2012 for 2.16 million Euro. Peter Coeln, WestLicht founder: "The outstanding result once again emphasizes the international leading position of our auction house". Leica majority owner and chairman of the board Andreas Kaufmann added: "This world record price of 2.4 million Euro demonstrates the ongoing and ever-growing myth of the Leica brand."

A further excellent result was achieved by another Leica camera from the famous collection of Jim Jannard (founder of Oakley): A Leica MP-89 black paint climbed from a starting price of 120,000 to 456,000 Euro. A Leica MP-2, the first camera with electric motor drive, changed ownership for 432,000 Euro. For the comparatively moderate sum of 48,000 Euro a collector purchased the Hasselblad Lunar Surface SWC which was manufactured for the Apollo missions.

The overall sales rate of the 32nd WestLicht Camera Auction was at 91% of the 530 lots, with close to 100% among the Leica items.

"Leica majority owner and chairman of the board Andreas Kaufmann was there to watch the record be set." Oh no, no, no. Does this mean he could be inspired to order the Leica engineers to create a new 'modern take' Monochrom variant, with no OVF or TFT screen whatsoever, but a little rectangle of glass on the top. How cool would that be? Just aim and pretty much guess what'll be in frame.

Yikes... I really need to take a closer look at grandad's old camera collection that's been sitting untouched in a box in the attic for the last 50 years...This camera looks oddly familiar...Fingers crossed 😉

"A private collector in Asia"Which part of Asia?I mean the great continent of Asia is huge stretching from Turkey in the west to Japan and Philippines in the east.In the west we have lots of Arab oil billionaires and in the east we have a bunch of super rich corrupted politicians and business tycoons

I have 4 Ms and 6 screwmounts, and there are fun to use occasionally. The screwmounts are not noted for ergonomics. I am 81, Zander the Lord knows what will happen to them when I go to that big darkroom in the sky.

Yes, you're right. I forgot about those! That little peep hole would be hard to use in reverse I think and anything larger would decrease its accuracy perhaps. The glass has crosshairs etched into it and you use it just like the Crown but in reverse. Seems quite functional.

Here's a place with good photos of the replica version. One of the photos makes it clear:

No metering, no autofocus, no EVF, no 7-digit ISO, no video (let alone 4K), no sensor-shift, no electronic shutter, no 'creative' modes. It should be rotting in a landfill....But at least it's a mirrorless camera.

Some people make moneyThen they make a lot of money Then when no one is watching, they make even moreThey make so much money they don't know what to do with itThe hundred large retirement investment in placeKids are at exclusive private schools The turbos and the exotics parked in garageSecond and third homes are secured and furnished in Europe and the AlpsThe French cellar in order

Damn! What else?Any old Leica cameras for sale anywhere?

Thanks DPR. I was distracted for a moment from the business of photography. You brought me back in line.

My father bought me a used mint Leica for my 12th birthday. He knew how special it was because it was a camera that he had wished he had for his entire life. He showed it to me briefly. It was in a pristine leather case and he had been waiting for a long time until my birthday to come around to give it to me. But I had been asking for a Nintendo (NES) and I threw a temper tantrum every day he got home 3 weeks. He finally relented and sold the Leica and bought me the Nintendo. I didn't get into photography until 15 years later but I wish I had kept the Leica. I would have loved it eventually. And it would have been something I would remember him by every time I looked at it.

I wouldn't feel badly about how you reacted. . . 12 years old is too young for most kids to appreciate a camera, much less a Leica. It sounds like your father wouldn't let you touch it beyond the short look on your birthday, which to a 12 year old is the equivalent of having received no gift at all. It would have been better if he had given you a simple camera that you could use and enjoy in the moment, something like a Polaroid Swinger. Then he could give you the Leica when you were older (say, high school graduation) and already hooked on photography. You would probably still have the Leica today. . .

your father should have gotten 2 camera that day an inexpensive rangefinder and the leica ... the leica could be touched by the kid once in a while and operated a little running a roll thru now and then

the youngun would have lusted after the pristine leica eventually , as it was the expensive cool adult cmera that was verboten ... eventually dad could have admitted it belonged to the son all along

If you look at how little used digital Leica cameras sell for, you can hardly call it an investment. The news about 'the most expensive camera ever' strengthen the Leica myth, though, and the sales of their special edition stuff.

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